Supernatural High School AU
by emmaouttathebox
Summary: An alternate universe where Dean and Cas are both sophomores at high school. Castiel is an artist in a powerful and well-known family. He meets the Winchesters, whose father is a drifter. Will they be able to find themselves, or is this year going to be like any other for Dean and Castiel?
1. Chapter 1

Castiel hated high school. It was junior year, and it seemed like all he'd been able to do was let his family down. Everyone in town knew the Novak family: his Dad was a world-famous diplomat who expected nothing less than perfection from his children. And, boy, did his siblings achieve. Michael, Uriel and Anna had all graduated top of their class, student body president, with full-ride scholarships to prestigious universities to boot. Heck, even Gabriel managed it; despite his tendency to goof off, he had quite the charisma. Everyone expected Cas to gain the same excellence, but he just couldn't get himself to fit the typical Novak mold.

"I swear, something's been wrong with you since you were a kid," his sister Naomi, a senior, said as she drove to school one morning. Naomi wasn't as bright as her siblings, but she made up for it through painstakingly hard work.

Cas ignored her, rummaging through all the heavy textbooks in his bag until he found it: battered, torn, but still perfect. His sketchbook. While his siblings pursued notable fields such as law, business and medicine, Cas had always felt himself drawn to art. The feel of his charcoal pencil across a fresh sheet of paper was intoxicating. As Naomi drove, Cas gazed out the window, searching for some form of inspiration.

They lived outside of the small town, so the drive was fairly long. Most things were painfully familiar: Mr. Robert's barn, the gnarled tree that had apparently been struck by lightning, the dingy old motel...as they passed it, Cas noticed something unusual.

Two boys, one looking to be about his age, holding books. The older one was helping the younger one adjust a backpack. It looked like they were going to school...but there was no car. "Pull over for a sec, Naomi." Cas said, intrigued.

Naomi groaned, but pulled over none-the-less. Cas rolled down his window. "Hey! You guys want a ride to school?"

The older boy looked up, shifting to stand protectively in front of the other kid. Their clothes were worn, and slightly too big. "Nah, we're good. Isn't that right, Sammy?" he added, glancing down.

"It's over a mile to get to school," Cas insisted.

The kid, Sammy, tugged on the older boy's sleeve. "Dean, I don't wanna walk that far."

For a moment, Dean stood there silently, mulling over the possible options in his head. He watched Sam quietly, finally shifting his eyes up to meet Cas's. "Fine. We'll take a ride."

Cas grinned and leaned over the seat to open the back door. "Come on in! I'm Castiel."

"Weird name," Dean muttered as he slid into the back seat. Cas watched with interest as he helped Sam get himself situated. _Maybe, just maybe,_ Cas thought to himself, _I might actually be able to make a friend this year._


	2. Chapter 2

Dean inspected the car with some suspicion. It was a nice vehicle, new, and well-cared for; it didn't rattle or squeak like the Impala. Dean missed his, well, _Dad's_, car. His mind floated back to that morning, when he'd asked to borrow the car. Just for a few minutes. All he needed to do was drop Sammy off, drive back to the motel and walk to school himself. John hadn't been very happy with Dean's suggestion. "Sooner or later Sam's going to have to grow up too!" he growled over breakfast, "And, if you haven't forgotten, I've got work to do!" He'd left shortly after, with a hug for Sam and a cold shoulder for Dean. "I don't want to hear you got in trouble this time," John added under his breath as he passed. Dean wrinkled his nose in disgust, John smelled like alcohol. Again.

The rest of the morning had been stressful as Dean packed Sam a lunch, made sure their backpacks were prepared and calculated the approximate distance to the nearby school. He was just preparing to break the news to Sam when Castiel had arrived.

"So, what are your guys' names?" asked Castiel, breaking Dean's reverie.

"I'm Dean," he grunted, "This is my brother, Sam." It came off a bit cold, but, who cared? John would drag them out of this town in a few weeks anyway; Dean learned the hard way that it was easier to just not make friends.

But Castiel was persistent, asking what school he and Sam were going to and pestering the two of them with questions. Sam happily took the brunt of the interrogation, but before long they had reached his school, leaving Sam to give Dean a quick hug and a wave as he jogged into the building.

"What grade are you in?" Castiel asked, fixing Dean with a stare. Dean caught off guard by the blue, unblinking eyes, stuttered something about being a junior.

Castiel's eyes widened. "Great! Me too! I bet we've got some classes together. I can show you around if you like. There's a lot of people who you probably want to avoid."

Dean eyed Castiel's lean frame. He wore a dress shirt, slightly too big, and his tie hung crooked and unkempt. Dean smirked. This kid would _have_ to be good at avoiding unpleasant people, likely he'd otherwise be one of their victims. "No offense, Cas, but I think I can manage on my own." He already had to protect Sammy, no point in adding any extra baggage to his list.

Cas's gaze wavered for a second, hurt. He glanced out the window. "We're here!" Naomi parked in the center of a busy school lot and hopped out of the car, completely ignoring her brother. Dean, feeling a bit bad, waited for Cas to adjust his bags before walking into school with him.

"What's your first class?" Cas shouted, trying to keep his voice above the din of students.

Dean pulled a crumpled sheet out of his pocket, squinting at the name. "Uh, Intro to Business by Mrs. Harvelle."

A grin flitted across Castiel's face. "Hey, me too!"

Dean rolled his eyes, but followed Cas nonetheless. He was just the same as all the other students. Nice, but give him a few days and he'd probably loathe Dean just as much as the rest of the boys had. Loathe or worship...Dean wasn't sure which one was worse. Oh well, it was only a few weeks, right?


	3. Chapter 3

It had been a week since Cas had met Dean. Every day, he'd have Naomi swing by and pick them up. Sam liked Cas, Dean...he wasn't so sure. As much as Cas tried to hang out with Dean, he was always finding excuses to avoid Cas. He had other friends. He had to watch out for Sam. He had work to finish up in Mechanics class. There was always something.

His family hadn't failed to notice the attention he paid to the Winchesters. And with the holidays fast approaching, it meant most of Castiel's siblings were home for the holiday. Some might call the Novak household a heaven on Earth, but Cas thought it swung closer to the fiery pits than anything else.

"He's far below our social status," Uriel announced while helping Castiel wash the dishes, "I can't see why you bother."

Cas tried to ignore Uriel, focusing on the warm, soapy water over his hands as he scrubbed the dinner plates. So what if Dean wasn't as great as a Novak? It's not like Novaks were the best thing in the world.

"I always said Castiel was a little messed up," Naomi said snottily as she carried in more used dishes from the dining room, "This just proves it."

"Didn't Dad always tell us to help people in need?" Cas shot back.

"Dad's not home," Naomi drawled, scooping the leftover mashed potatoes into a tupperware, "Besides, I doubt he'd approve of the way you keep scraping for this guy's attention."

"Little Cassie could always just kiss him," Gabriel taunted from behind, munching on an eclair.

Cas scowled. Meanwhile, Naomi, noticing the eclair Gabriel was eating, began to scold him for getting into the dessert early. Before long, Uriel and Anna (where did she even come from?) were part of the fight.

"QUIET," shouted a commanding voice from the doorway. Silence fell over the kitchen, all that could be heard was the stream of water pouring from the sink. Cas looked up to see Michael, 11 years his elder, glowering at the group. Michael had always had lofty plans for the future, but ever since Dad left, Michael had been stuck running the local family business in order to look after his siblings. When Michael spoke, everyone listened.

"Are we really bickering over eclairs?" he said, his deep voice rumbling through the room.

"It started because of Cas," Naomi said, jabbing an accusing finger towards him.

Michael sighed. "Cas, this isn't about your obsession with making friends, is it?"

"Not just friends, Dean Winchester," Uriel said with contempt, despite never actually meeting Dean in person.

"It doesn't matter anyway," Cas muttered, turning off the tap and wiping his hands on his worn slacks. "Dean has better things to occupy his time." With that, he turned and walked out of the kitchen, bumping shoulders with Michael on the way out.

As he did, Cas heard Michael say softly, "Even so, how many times have you protected him already?"

Cas swallowed hard, but didn't answer, picking up pace after exiting the kitchen. He all but sprinted up the stairs to his bedroom. Locking the door behind him, Cas slumped against the wall. He couldn't explain why he felt drawn to Dean, but he was. And if that meant standing up for Dean against the school bully, Alastair, well...he'd survived worse beatings from Uriel.


	4. Chapter 4

"Hey, you," a voice jeered from behind. Dean stiffed, setting down the tools he'd been working with. Turning around slowly, he steeled his face.

"Alastair," Dean growled.

Alastair, a senior, wasn't what one expected of a typical bully. He was lanky and wiry, his hair buzzed close to his scalp. His voice came out in a sneer that would make even the teachers cringe. And he'd had it out for Dean from day one.

"Dean, my favorite ray of sunshine," he drawled, placing a hand on Dean's shoulder and smirking, "I need you to work out a little _issue_ of mine."

Dean wiped the grease of his hands and instinctively clenched them into fists. "Not today," he groaned. It was Tuesday, which meant Cas would have the same lunch time as him. Why did he know that? Probably because Castiel made such a big deal of their schedules. Yeah. That was it.

Alastair came in closer, moving in to put his arm around Dean's shoulder. He reeked of body odor and smoke. His breath smelled even worse. "You know our agreement," he hissed, "Kevin Tran. Junior. AP student. He'll be finishing up with class, room 221."

"Is everything alright, Dean?" asked a rumbling voice from behind them. Dean whipped around to see Bobby, the mechanics teacher, glaring menacingly at Alastair. Within the short amount of time Dean had been around, Bobby had quickly become his favorite teacher. He'd tried to step in to become a sort of father figure and Dean hadn't minded. And since Dean had a way with machines, he had an excuse to hang around the garage.

"It's fine," Dean winced, as Alastair's fingers dug into his shoulder. "I've got this." Bobby gave Dean another significant look, then nodded and walked away.

"Nice choice," Alastair grinned. "Remember, Kevin Tran," he muttered as he walked away.

Dean sighed, placing his palms on the work table and hanging his head. He hated this. All of it. It started at the beginning of his school career: Alastair caught Dean stealing extra from the cafeteria. Just a sandwich and a few cookies, that was all. They'd been running low on food and Sammy was going to need something for lunch. Of course, the policy for stealing at this messed up little school wasn't just detention, but a night in jail and Dean knew John wouldn't stand for it. The last time John bailed him out...Dean shuddered, instinctively clutching his shoulder in pain.

Alastair threatened to turn him in unless Dean was willing to provide a bit of assistance to Alastair's cause. Which, apparently, included bullying and extortion. Dean was forced to do Alastair's dirty work for him. It had started to tear Dean apart, not because it was wrong, but because it had started to feel good. Thrashing some other kid made Dean feel better about the beatings he'd received from John. What he _did _feel bad about was Cas. The guy'd been so nice to him, still was, but Dean couldn't get him involved. Besides, how would Cas be able to help him anyway? It hurt lying to his face...Castiel always looked so disappointed when Dean turned down yet another offer. But, what choice did he have?

Downtrodden, Dean put away the tools he'd been using and, after using some lame excuse about having to use the restroom, made his way to room 221. The bell rung, and students began to pour out of the door. "Kevin?" Dean called at random, heart heavy.

"Dean! You remembered my name!" cried Kevin, grinning. Dean blinked. The kid looked kind of familiar, his dark hair hanging to almost obscure his notably Asian eyes. "You know? From new student orientation? I help in the library!"

"Right..." Dean murmured, moving closer to Kevin. His right hand clenched into a fist. His heart was pounding. The more he beat, the stronger he felt...but the more he felt like John. No more. "Alastair sent me," he whispered. Kevin's eyes widened, but Dean continued, "Go out for lunch today. Get pie at that nice diner down the road or something. I'll pretend I couldn't find you."

"But...when he finds out..." Kevin breathed. He knew as well as anyone how vindictive Alastair's fury could be.

"Go." Dean said, clapping a hand on Kevin's shoulder. "I can handle it."

As Kevin scampered off down the hallway, Dean felt a strong hand curl around his arm.

"Wrong move, Winchester," growled Alastair as he swung his fist towards Dean.


	5. Chapter 5

Dean tried to fight back. But Alastair had a good couple inches on him, not to mention several years training for football and wrestling. Before long, Dean's lip was bloody, his right eye was swollen and he was bruised in too many places to count. He hung his head in despair, waiting for Alastair to land the final blow, but as he closed his eyes nothing came.

Dean heard a shout and looked up to see...Cas. Standing in front of him.

"You're not going to touch him." Cas said, his voice hard and commanding. "Leave now, Alastair, before you get hurt."

"You really think you can hurt me?" Alastair scoffed. By this point a crowd had formed. His cronies laughed supportively. When it became clear Castiel, who was much shorter than Alastair, was not going to back down, Alastair shrugged. "Guess I get two losers for the price of one."

He raised his fist. Dean closed his eyes again, not wanting to see Cas get pummeled, but there was no yelp of pain...Dean's eyes flipped open with amazement to see Cas gripping Alastair's arm. Castiel slung the arm over his shoulder and with one quick motion, flipped Alastair onto the floor.

Alastair groaned in pain, but Castiel was already on top of him, slamming his fists into his face. He paused for a moment. "Give up, Alastair?"

"You're asking if I'll give up..." Alastair said, breathing heavily, "Or if I'll give _Dean_ up..."

"Both." Castiel replied.

Alastair laughed, wincing painfully. "You...can beat me all you want...but Dean's staying in _my_ services."

Castiel landed another blow to the face before shifting his weight. In moments he had Alastair's arm gripped against his body. As he leaned back, Alastair yelled.

"I told you. I want Dean. And if you don't want your arm broken, you'll give this up."

"Never."

Castiel leaned backwards, pouring all his weight into it. Dean could hear the arm start to pop.

"FINE!" Alastair roared in pain. Castiel let go and stood to his feet, glowering at the trembling Alastair. "You get Dean," Alastair heaved, "But you've also made yourself an enemy you'll regret."

"I'll take my chances," Cas muttered, cooly. He turned to Dean. "Are you alright? I can take you to my home. We've got medical supplies to fix up your face."

"What about the nurse?" Dean slurred. He was still gaping at Cas in amazement. Who would have ever guessed the kid had _that_ in him?

"She's got her hands full," Cas said darkly, glancing at Alastair, who was crumpled into a ball, whimpering. "Besides, I wouldn't want to be around in your condition with Alastair's cronies looking for vengeance."

"Fair point," Dean muttered. He tried to stand...and almost collapsed. Cas helped him up, draping Dean's arm around his shoulder as they made their way to the parking lot. As they reached the car, Cas bent over to retrieve the key from behind the back tire. He opened the back door first, easing Dean onto the seats before closing the door and heading to the front seat.

Dean struggled to keep his eyes open, but between the stress at home and the beating he just received, he was asleep within moments of Castiel starting the car.


	6. Chapter 6

"Dean, we're here!" Cas said, softly prodding his shoulder. Dean opened his eyes, blinking in the sunlight. He groaned, lifting himself up and all but falling out the open car door. Looking up, Dean's eyes widened.

Castiel's place was _huge_. Well tended shrubs and trees, intricately laced with Christmas lights, dotted the sprawling lawn, which was still green despite the arriving chill of winter. The house itself more closely resembled a palace in Dean's mind; he couldn't even count all the windows.

Noting Dean's awe, Castiel blushed. His home was deemed big even by the rich friends his siblings would invite over, Cas could only imagine how Dean, living out of a shabby motel room, must feel. "C'mon," he said, gripping Dean's shoulder softly, "we're going to go in through the back." He did _not_ want any of his siblings to find out.

The two of them wound around the yard, Dean eventually leaning on Cas to catch his breath. It had been a pretty brutal fight. They came in through a set of gleaming glass doors into a spotless sun-room. From there, they crept down a hallway full of tasteful Christmas decorations. It was lined with doors; Dean could scarcely believe it. Cas opened one to reveal a closet loaded with a variety of supplies. He selected a nice First Aid kit and they continued up a wide, curved staircase and down another hallway of doors.

At last they entered a room. Sunlight streamed in from multiple directions, including the roof, and the walls were lined with bookshelves. "I doubt they'll come in the library," Cas said. He gestured to a soft couch, "Sit here, I'll start patching you up."

Hesitantly, Dean sat, wincing as his body screamed in protest. Cas flipped open the First Aid kit and began to rummage around. "I didn't know you could fight like that," croaked Dean.

Cas faltered before grabbing an antiseptic wipe. "Yeah. I've been doing martial arts since I was 5." He tore the wrapper open and started wiping down the various bloody cuts on Dean's face.

"Ouch! What's that for?" Dean shouted, shifting on the couch to avoid the wipe.

"It's to clean up the injuries," Cas said calmly, shifting with Dean and resuming to wipe.

"Don't see how I need any of it." Dean grumbled, "Do just fine without."

Cas lowered the wipe, looking Dean in the eye. "Do you get into fights regularly?"

Dean looked away, "And other things," he muttered.

Cas blinked. Oh. As much as he was unhappy that his father was always away, at least he didn't...

"So...martial arts," Dean said abruptly, "You don't strike me as the kind of guy who actually wants to do that sort of thing."

Cas turned away, digging through the First Aid kit again. He pulled out an ice pack, cracking the inner mechanism before tossing it to Dean. "Hold that against your face," he instructed. Dean lifted it to his face, still looking expectantly at Cas.

Cas shook his head. "Dad wants us to be successful. The perfect kids. He's had me in martial arts and boy scouts and I can't even count everything else since before I can remember." He looked away. "And I still failed him."

Dean laughed darkly. "That makes two of us." He stood up and began to wander the room, inspecting the bookshelves. "Ever since Mom died, Dad's been a drifter. I don't even know how many schools I've been to. And then there's Sammy. No matter how much I do to protect him, it's never enough. I've never been enough. Not for my teachers, or my Dad, or even Sammy." He hung his head.

"That can't be true." Castiel said, standing up and wandering over to where Dean was. "I've seen the way you care for Sam and I can only say I wish my older siblings were even half the guy you are. My siblings are the first to remind me that I'm broken."

Dean looked up, but did not turn around. "You, uh, you haven't given up on me. And I've been pretty awful," he took a deep breath and turned to face Cas. "I'd say you should never change."

Cas gave a half-smile, which, in turn, caused Dean's eyes to light up, just ever so slightly.


	7. Chapter 7

There was a moment of silence between the two, sunlight streaming into the library when the door banged open. Cas whipped around to find-

"Hey, little bro!" Gabriel smirked, leaning in the doorframe. Even with torn jeans and a faded T-shirt, he still exuded some form of dominance. "Sorry to interrupt a beautiful moment."

Cas scowled. "What are you doing here?"

Gabe stood up straight, slipping his hands into his pockets before sauntering towards Cas. "I should be asking you the same question. Skipping school _and_ stealing your sister's car? Isn't that a bit much for a beginning miscreant?"

"It's _our_ car, not just her's and besides, my grades are high enough to miss class once in a while." Cas replied.

"Hey, I was quoting Michael," Gabe shrugged, peering over Cas' shoulder, "But, speaking of miscreant, aren't you going to introduce me to yours?"

Cas turned and glanced at Dean, who still had the icepack held to his face. His shoulders dropped. It was all over soon. Dean would never want to be friends with Cas after a forced interrogation with his siblings. "Dean," he said, gesturing towards Gabe, "this is my brother Gabriel. Gabe, Dean."

"So _this_ is Dean?" Gabe chortled, "This is better than I could have hoped. The others will flip when they meet him!"

Dean looked to Cas with worry in his eyes. The last thing he needed was to get in trouble with more authority. Dean wasn't the only one worried. Cas was going to be in heaps of trouble between beating up a bully, it was only a matter of time before _that_ made it home, and skipping school to sneak a boy he barely knew into the house. "Gabe, please, not like this!" he begged.

Gabe quirked an eyebrow. "Why? Afraid of getting in trouble?"

"It's not my trouble I'm worried about." Cas said, crossing his arms.

"Understandably, this is a hard one to explain," Gabe mused, stroking his chin, "What with the incident at school and the bruised, bloody drifter you snuck into the house."

"So you'll let us out?" Cas asked, hopeful.

"I will..." Gabe started, an evil look on his face, "_But_, Dean and his family simply _must _come over to our place tomorrow night for our annual holiday dinner."

"I doubt Dean's interested," Cas started, shifting himself between Dean and Gabe.

"We insist," Gabe hissed, leaning over Castiel's shoulder. Standing back up straight he added, "Unless you'd rather the fam meet him now?"

Cas looked to Dean, who spoke up. "Dad might not be around," _please, don't let him be around_, "But Sammy and I'll come." He walked past Cas, moving to invade Gabe's space. He was not going to be intimidated by this guy. "Who knows? Might be fun."

Gabe smiled in return, then headed out of the room, turning at the door. "Great! I'll take care of the siblings then. Can't wait to see you." He winked, then left the room.

"Dude, family dinner? He made it sound like a court martial!" Dean said, looking to Cas for support.

"It's worse," Cas muttered, checking to see if the hallway is clear, "But it looks like we don't have a choice." He motioned to Dean. "C'mon. Better get you out of here while Gabe's got them distracted."


	8. Chapter 8

Dean groaned as his dad pulled into the expansive driveway of the Novak's. He'd been banking on John being away, Cas had already said he'd give them a ride, but John had insisted.

"Some friend you've got here," John muttered as he turned the key, shutting off the engine. He pushed the door of the Impala open. "Hurry up you two," he added as Dean struggled to help Sam find his seatbelt in the dark, "We don't want to look rude."

It was a long walk up to the door, silent save for John's muttered commentary about the yard, the house, what kind of people the Novaks must be. He rapped on the door hard. Dean could smell the scent of lingering cigarettes and wished he'd at least had the decency to take a shower.

Cas answered the door. He was wearing a freshly pressed dress shirt and tie and his hair, usually rumpled, was combed down. Dean glanced down at his own T-shirt and ripped jeans, feeling out of place. Cas caught him looking. "It's no big deal," he said, quietly, "You look fine." Cas' eyes flicked to John. "You must be Mr. Winchester. Welcome, sir."

"Good to be here," John said, not looking at Cas. "C'mon boys." They entered the house, Dean with much trepidation. It looked even cleaner than before, if that was possible. Cas ushered them down the hall into a grand dining room, complete with small chandelier. The table was packed with food and fancy table settings. Dean swallowed, nervously. He had no idea how to manage this sort of thing, and what about Sam?

"Guys, they're here!" Cas called, and almost in synchronization his siblings entered the room, all with the grandiose and intimidating style Cas swore they practiced alone in the mirror. His sisters, even some of his brothers, regarded the Winchesters with distain, though they hid it with false smiles as they seated themselves.

Gabriel, catching Dean's eye, winked, then found a seat next to Sam, who was looking very nervous. "Hey, you must be Sam. Heard a lot about you. You nervous about eating with all this fancy stuff?" Gabe gestured to the table settings. Sam nodded. "It's not that hard," Gabriel said with a grin, "I call this one the chopper, these ones the stabbers and this," he picked up a spoon and took a scoop of peas out of one of the bowls, "the catapult." He flung the peas at Naomi, who scowled. She started to speak, then stopped, clearly trying to be a gracious host. Sam giggled.

Dean sat on the other side of Sam. As Cas was about to sit down next to Dean, however, John stepped in. Cas tried to stutter something about wanting to sit next to Dean, but before John could get too comfortable, Michael entered the room.

As usual, Michael exuded a powerful presence, which was only enhanced by his nice suit. "Ah, you must be John Winchester. I had the seat at the end of the table reserved for you, you being the man of your household and all."

Taken aback, John stood, then walked to the seat Michael indicated. Dean was shocked, it seemed like his dad didn't take orders from anyone. Cas settled down next to Dean, and the meal began. At first it was easy, just the clatter of dishes as everyone served themselves. It was a lavish meal: with pot roast and potatoes, bread rolls, several different kinds of vegetables, multiple salads and candied nuts. A fancy punch was served for the kids not of age, fine wine was opened for the adults. Then they settled into eating. That's when the conversations began. At first it was the usual, what people did for a living, polite questions about the family...then the wine started to set in.

"See, Sam's got potential in life, he's smart, he'll go far. But Dean? He's not even good at average work, much less the honor student stuff you guys have talked about." Dean winced. He was used to John's talk, but not in front of people, let alone a friend.

"Not all of us are as perfect as you make us out to be," Michael said, smiling graciously, "Castiel, for example. Our little black sheep. Never could live up to the rest of us."

Gabriel tried to crack a joke, but the conversation continued, the rest of the Novaks jumping in to take a dig when they could. Dean could see he was trying to lighten the mood, but it wasn't working. At last, Gabe leaned over to Sam. "Hey, bud," he whispered, "Wanna check out the rest of the house with me? We've got some pretty neat secret passages." Sam nodded, grinning, and the two excused themselves. On the way out, Gabe gave Dean a sympathetic look.

Dean figured he could handle the crap, he'd handled much worse before, but Cas looked closer and closer to a breakdown every time his siblings opened their mouths.

"I bet if Dad came back, he'd disown Castiel." Dean wasn't sure who said it, but as soon as it was spoken he found himself on his feet, slamming his fists into the table.

"SHUT UP." he shouted, glaring furiously at the table. "You guys act like you're so great, but you're just a bunch of dirtbags."

"Dean!" John snapped, "This is not how you talk to your hosts."

"I'll call them what they are, since nobody else seems to do it," Dean said venomously.

"ENOUGH." John said, rising to his feet. "Thank you for the meal," he said courteously to Michael, but as he turned to Dean, his face became a mask of fury. "I'll deal with you when we get home."


	9. Chapter 9

The next day, John drove them to school. The car ride was silent; Dean hadn't spoken since the night before. When they'd gotten back to the motel, John had unleashed his fury, then stormed out the door. Dean had put Sam to bed without speaking.

Sam was dropped off first, with a grin and a wave, then came Dean. He entered the mechanics room without thinking.

"Dean," called Bobby, emerging from under a car. He wiped his greasy hands on his pants, "You OK?"

Dean looked up, trying to force a smile, but couldn't. "No."

Within seconds, Bobby was enveloping him in a hug. It was strong and warm and smelled of oil and metal. It was a nice smell. "This isn't your father again, is it?" he asked, letting Dean go after a few moments. Dean didn't answer.

"I swear, that man isn't fit..." grumbled Bobby, trailing off as Dean looked him in the eye. "Look, Dean, if you want to stay here instead of going to class, I'll write you a note and everything."

Dean nodded. "Thanks, Bobby," he said softly, moving to his table and picking up his tools. He could hear Bobby's footsteps leave the room. Dean worked in silence for a while, when the door opened. "Hey, Bobby," Dean called, "You know where the oil can is?"

"It's not Bobby," Cas said, walking into the room. He looked out of place among the dirty parts in his clean sweater and khaki pants.

Dean looked up, setting his tools down. "Cas," he started, "look, I'm sorry about last-"

"It's not your fault." Cas cut him off, sidestepping a dismantled lawn mower.

"You ok?" Dean asked, turning to face him. If he'd gotten Cas hurt...

"I'm fine," Cas said, with a forced smile that implied otherwise. "Michael and the others shouted for a bit, but it's nothing they haven't whispered behind my back."

There was silence. Dean picked back up his tools and began tinkering with the engine again.

"You're really good at this," Cas remarked, peering over Dean's shoulder.

Dean grinned. "I really love this, that's all."

"Are you going to become a mechanic or something?"

Dean's smile faded. "Dad wouldn't like that. He wants sons with successful careers so he can mooch off our salaries. Always saying he's done so much to raise us, we owe him."

"Oh."

"Look, let's not think about that. I've had enough for a while. What do you want to do?" Dean looked up at Cas, who got a faraway look in his eye.

"I've always loved to draw. I want to do something with that. Maybe be a designer or an artist or something."

"That's awesome!" Dean said, eliciting a pleased smile from Cas. "Could I see any of your work?"

Cas grinned even wider. "Sure! Follow me!"

They ran down empty hallways, class had already started, and into the library. Dean had never been inside before, but Cas obviously had, leading him through a winding path around various bookshelves until they reached the back. Artwork was displayed prominently along the wall.

"That one's mine," Cas said, pointing to a charcoal drawing of a landscape. "It's what I see looking out my bedroom window," he confided, quietly.

"It's amazing!" Dean exclaimed, so loud a nearby librarian shushed him. "Do you have anything else to show me?" he added, voice hushed, "A notebook or something."

Castiel's smile couldn't have been brighter.


	10. Chapter 10

The next week was heaven. Dean endured the lengthy nights with John because he knew what waited for him in daylight. For the first time in his life, Dean was actually becoming close to someone outside his own family.

And it wasn't just Cas, either. (Although he was the closest.) In his mechanics class, Dean had bonded with a kind, albeit strange senior named Garth. He'd gotten along well with a girl in his gym class, Jo, who could (and did) beat him at everything they tried. Kevin turned out to be a lot of help when it came to studying for tests, Dean had actually started to care about those, and Charlie had convinced him to join the school's LARPing club. For the first time in his life, Dean was actually starting to _build_ something.

Castiel seemed visibly happier as well. They'd eat lunch together, meeting in the same spot: a table in the far corner of the school cafeteria. Sometimes they'd talk, other days Castiel would sketch in his book. Dean would watch. In the afternoons, they'd pick up Sam from the elementary school and go places. One day it was bowling. Another, the arcade. Sam was always so excited, beaming from ear to ear as Castiel paid for him to do all the things he'd always wanted to.

"Thank you," Dean said one day as they waited to get some hot chocolate. Sam was already out on the ice skating rink, Cas had pulled some strings and hired a private tutor for him, and Dean was getting cold. The two sipped their hot chocolate for a while, watching the more experienced skaters whizz around the ice. Sam, who had been slipping in the beginning, looked like he was starting the get the hang of it, wobbling slowly against the wall.

"You know," Cas said, breaking their reverie, "Skating would warm you right up."

Dean blushed. "I can't skate, man."

"I could teach you."

"Dude, is there anything you _can't_ do?"

"I don't think I am able to do everything," Cas said seriously, "Makeup, for example, has always eluded me."

"Makeup." Dean started to laugh, throwing his head back and pouring his whole body into it. Cas smiled tentatively, but before long he was laughing too. They laughed until their ribs hurt and their breath came out in short, shallow bursts.

Cas stood up. "C'mon, let's skate." He reached out a hand, helping Dean, still breathless, to his feet. It didn't take too long before the skates were on and they were out on the rink. Upon stepping foot onto the ice, Dean lost his grin.

"Dude, I can't do this. This is crazy." He took a step back towards the doorway, but nearly fell over. Cas stuck out an arm and Dean gripped it tight to steady himself.

"Too late," Cas replied, smiling. Dean took one wobbling stride. Then another, and another...then fell. Cas laughed. "You can do better than that."

It took a while, but in no time, Dean had picked it up. Before long, they too were whizzing around the rink, with Sam in between them. When they'd gotten bored of that, Cas bent down to teach Sam a new trick. That's when Dean spotted him.

"Be right back," he said absently, hand slipping out of Sammy's as he skated to the edge of the rink. "Dad, what are you-"

"This is ridiculous, what you're doing." John said gruffly.

"Why are you here? Cas was going to drive us home."

"We're leaving, Dean."

"The rink? Fine. But-"

"No, Dean. We're leaving town tomorrow morning. I came to tell you to cut off all ties. I've warned you against what could happen," he gestured to Cas, who was spinning a laughing Sam in a haphazard circle, "and I don't want to hear you complain."

Dean's heart compressed. He couldn't leave. He had friends here. He had teachers who cared and grades that were, well, not high, but decent. He was finally building a life. "Dad, please, can't we just-"

John cut him off. "You're not the father here. You're not the one to make the judgement calls." Dean tried to protest. "Get your brother and meet me in the car. We're leaving early, and you still need to pack."

"But, Sam-"

"The car. Now. We're leaving whether you want it or not, end of discussion." John walked away, leaving Dean with a chill that hadn't come from the ice.


	11. Chapter 11

*Cas*

"It would work," Cas said, shoving the papers into Gabe's hands.

"Look, I don't see why now is such a-"

"There's more to it than before," Cas cut him off, taking back the papers and flipping to a specific spot.

Gabe read the page, quietly. "Cas, you do realize what this would mean? I don't even know if we could get it to happen. We'd need to pull out some pretty big..." he trailed off, pacing Castiel's room.

"That's why I've enlisted Anna," Cas said proudly.

"Anna? Seriously?" Gabe was shocked.

"Come on. Who else do you know with the clout to do that? And, besides, she's the only one who's offered to help thus far. Unless you think I should as Michael..."

"More like selling your soul," Gabe scoffed. He was quiet again as he looked over the papers. Cas bit his thumbnail anxiously. This had to work. It _had_ to. Just then, his phone vibrated in his pocket. The number was unnamed, but Cas felt sure it was Dean. He ached to answer the call, but with negotiations so close...

_Just hold on a little longer, Dean, _he thought, putting the phone back into his pocket with a silent apology.

*Dean*

There had been a fight. With yelling and swearing and...worse. Dean could tell by the movements of the nearby bed that Sam was, in fact, not asleep, and trying his very hardest to pretend he didn't notice what was happening.

At long last, it had ended. "I'm going to get a drink," John muttered. He turned to Dean. "If everything isn't ready to go by morning, you're going to wish you'd never been born." Dean had nodded, not daring to speak. He stood almost at attention as John exited.

Waiting a few minutes, Dean left the room with a whisper to Sam that he'd be right back. Armed with a few quarters he'd collected from John's wallet when he wasn't paying attention, Dean dialed the number he'd learned by heart over the last few weeks.

As the phone rang, Dean pondered what he was going to say. He hadn't been able to bring himself to tell Cas the news when they were at the rink. Hopefully he wasn't mad. Dean finally settled on asking if Cas could come over to the motel. He'd tell him in person...but then what? Dean didn't care; he'd cross that bridge when he came to it. He just wanted to say a proper goodbye.

It rang for a while, then: _Hi. This is Cas. I don't ever get the point of these things, I mean, the machine can tell you to leave a message just as well as I can. _There was a pause, then a beep as the machine did, in fact, indicate when to leave a message.

Dean didn't have any quarters left over, so a message would have to do. "Hey, Cas. I know it's late, but do you mind coming over to the motel? There's something I..." Dean took a breath, "I gotta tell you something. And I'd rather tell you in person." He paused, then added, "And if you don't make it, I'd just like to tell you that I-" the machine beeped again, and the phone line cut off, leaving Dean hanging on a sentence he wasn't sure how to answer.


	12. Chapter 12

Dean paced the cramped motel room as quietly as possible, picking up the odds and ends that had inexplicably migrated to strange back corners. Sam was asleep, but Dean needed to be busy. He didn't want to be alone with his thoughts right now and besides, their stuff needed to be packed anyway.

He jumped at the loud rap at the door. Dean's shoulders fell. It was late, John had probably forgotten his key. As he swung it open, however, he was shocked to see Cas standing worriedly in the doorway. Cas opened his mouth to speak, but Dean, without thinking, pulled him into a hug. It was tight and fierce, Dean trying to convey without words how much he'd miss Cas. After a few seconds, he let go, blushing. He'd only ever hugged Sammy like that. As Dean looked up, he spotted Gabe over Castiel's shoulder, making him blush even harder. "I thought you wouldn't come, man," Dean muttered hoarsely.

"I always come when you call," Cas replied softly.

There was a long pause, they didn't need to say anything, then Gabe cleared his throat loudly. "You gonna tell him, or should I?" he asked, nudging Castiel's shoulder.

Cas nodded. "Get your bags together, Dean," he said, "We're leaving."

"I know, man," Dean said sadly, hanging his head, "I should have told you we were skipping town earlier..." he paused, "I just didn't know how."

To Dean's amazement, Cas grinned. "No. It's not that you're leaving, it's that _we're_ leaving. Me and you. Sam, too."

Dean squinted, confused. Meanwhile Sam, who'd been awakened by the noise, meandered sleepily to the doorway and slipped his hand into Dean's.

Gabe stepped past Cas into the room. "I'm going to become Castiel's legal guardian," he said. He bent over to Sam, asking quietly where his bags were. Sam pointed, smiling blearily at Gabe, who he recognized.

"So...you're leaving too?" Dean asked, feeling slightly better. At least Cas would be free of Michael and his awful siblings. Gabe seemed pretty cool.

"We're taking you with us!" Cas exclaimed, unable to contain his happiness.

"...What? How?"

"Only if you want," Gabe interrupted, walking back to the boys, Sam on his shoulders and his bag in his hand. "Your father, John, has been on the run for a while, but he's in trouble, legal trouble, for many things. Including his care of you. We've got a lawyer, our sister Anna, working to pin him down for everything, which would mean you two would end up in foster care...unless you have a guardian," he finished with a sly grin.

Dean, stunned, was silent as he tried to comprehend it all. John, in trouble? Taken away? Foster care? Guardians? "But...I don't know if we have..." he stammered, worried.

"Anna's already working on it, but if you wanted...I could be your guardian, too," Gabe said.

Glancing at Cas for affirmation, Dean couldn't help but gape. "Does that mean Cas and I would be...related?" He wrinkled his nose, trying to comprehend it.

Gabe laughed. "No. You'd just be under my care until your 18th birthday. The two of you would be more like roommates," he said with a wink.

"You don't have to come, if you don't want," Cas said softly.

"Are you kidding?" Dean shouted, a grin splitting his face, "I'd love to!" He glanced up at Sam, gesturing for Gabe to put him down. Upon doing so, Dean bent down to be at Sam's eye level. "Do you understand what this means?" he asked, quietly.

"We get to live with Cas and Gabe and not Dad," Sam murmured.

"Would you like that?" As badly as Dean wanted to go, he wouldn't leave without Sam.

Sam smiled and nodded. Dean smiled too, "We're in."

"We've already had Anna confront your father at the bar. He's going into the station as we speak, meaning if you want to come," Gabe pointed to his car, "You can."

Castiel couldn't get the grin off his face as he helped Dean put his bags into the trunk. Gabe helped ease Sam into the backseat, Dean entered on the other side. Cas followed.

"What are we doing?" Dean asked Cas as they drove down the dark interstate. He still couldn't get over the shock of it all: leaving Dad, staying with Cas...

"We're tearing down the ending they had planned for us," Cas murmured, sleepily, "Replacing it with a future that we can write." He laid his head softly on Dean's shoulder. "You mind?" he asked in a whisper so quiet it could have easily been mistaken for a huff of breath.

"Course," Dean replied softly, leaning his head onto Cas', "you're family."

"Family," Cas murmured, a smile curving his lips as he fell asleep.

Dean sighed contentedly at the feel of the word. _Family. _It was a word full of hope and endless possibilities. And with Sam curled into him on one side, Cas on the other, and the feel of tires on the open road, Dean finally felt like he was home.


End file.
